Cheryl Brooks of Indigenuity Consulting Group presents on the topic of Strategic Alignment: Matching Aboriginal Community Objectives with Industry Opportunities at the Expanding Our Knowledge Conference in Vancouver, BC on April 15, 2013. Cheryl who is a Sto:lo from the community of Sts’ailes in the Upper Fraser Valley of BC, has been the President of Indigenuity Consulting Group for the past 10 years. Prior to this, she was the first aboriginal woman to achieve Associate Deputy Minister status in the BC government, holding that position in the Ministry of Energy, Mines. Cheryl has also held several other senior positions in aboriginal organizations and the corporate sector including that of the founder and first Manager of BC Hydro’s highly regarded Aboriginal Relations Department. In 1994, the Canadian Business Review recognized Cheryl as one of the first people in Canada to publicly express that relationship building between indigenous and other peoples, was the needed foundation for solutions to socio-economic disparity and its resulting tensions and conflict. The article she then wrote for the Business Review has been quoted as a seminal reference. Around the same time, her work was cited in the Hill, Sloan book on Best Practices in Aboriginal Relations. For the past 25 + years, Cheryl’s work and voluntary efforts have been focused on creating practical approaches to developing relationships that deliver tangible benefits to both the aboriginal and non- aboriginal parties in relationships. The Expanding Our Knowledge Conference was hosted by Working Effectively with Aboriginal Peoples(TM).com and is powered by Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. and would like to thank Cheryl for sharing her time, these slides, and for allowing us to post.

1. CHERYL BROOKS OF
INDIGENUITY CONSULTING GROUP
ON:
“STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT:
MATCHING COMMUNITY
OBJECTIVES WITH INDUSTRY
OPPORTUNITIES”

2. Indigenuity Consulting Group Inc.
• 100% Aboriginal Ownership (since 2000)
• Strategy for Aboriginal & Corporate prosperity
• Partnerships that create tangible benefits
• Consultation – meaningful & results producing

3. AN APPROACH FOR SUCCESS RECOGNIZES
• Societal landscape is evolving and relationship
structures need to change with it.
• Both aboriginal and corporate organizations are
driven by multiple forces.
• Maximizing the potential for best results requires
that you engage and work strategically.

4. WHAT IS STRATEGY
• Shaping the future in way that gets to desirable ends
with available means.
• Achieving goals under conditions of uncertainty, such as
when there are insufficient resources to achieve these
goals.
.

5. STRATEGY IS DYNAMIC
• When the world around us in a state of constant
change and growth it means that effective
strategy cannot be static.
• Strategy must shift in response to known or
emerging conditions.
www.indigenuity.ca office@indigenuity.ca
250~746~1040

6. APPRECIATE DIFFERENCES
•Each community is unique in terms of capacity
•Some struggle with high levels of stress/distress with
little space to act beyond the short term
•Others are skilled and experienced at working
strategically, while still facing many challenges they can
manage opportunities and difficulties strategically

7. UNDERSTAND ABORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE
• Economic growth, jobs or higher personal incomes
may be important, but may not be the community’s
ultimate goal.
• Learn about what future the community is seeking
that suits the values, priorities and needs of its
members.
• This could take a very long time

8. UNDERSTAND COMPANY PERSPECTIVE
• Each company is unique in its capacity
• Some struggle with high levels of stress and
uncertainty
• Others are skilled at experienced at working
strategically with First Nations
• Some are new to this work and enter into it with
some fears and concerns.
www.indigenuity.ca office@indigenuity.ca
250~746~1040

9. PERCEPTION VS. REALITY
• Don’t confuse your perceptions with reality
• Don’t deduce the other parties intentions from
your fears
• Try to put yourself in the other party’s shoes
• Withhold judgement while you “try on” their
views
• Test if your proposals are consistent with the
other party’s values.

10. MORE THAN FACTS/FIGURES
• Accept that the process involves way more than
exchanging information
• This is about people making connections – get this
part right – the rest flows
• Human connection means there will be
emotional, spiritual and physical factors in play
• Be open to all the dynamics this will bring; as
necessary be explicit about recognizing what is in
play – name it – talk about it.

11. INTERESTS
• Know that behind apparently opposed positions
lie shared and compatible interests, as well as
conflicting ones - Identify both
• If you want the other party to appreciate your
interests, begin by demonstrating that you
appreciate their interests.
• If you actually cannot figure them out - Ask

12. ASK YOURSELF
• What are my long term interests?
• Within those interests – what are the
opportunities and possibilities for
cooperation, mutual growth and shared
benefits?
• Are there alternate pathways to realizing the
opportunities and benefits?
• Which pathways are most compatible with the
values that have been identified?
www.indigenuity.ca office@indigenuity.ca
250~746~1040

13. ALIGNMENT
• Today, what are the community interests?
• What company objectives can contribute to
addressing those interests?
• Stay open – Often even in very open
brainstorming, participants are already leaning
towards what they perceive as the one best
answer.
• Take the time that is needed for true dialogue

14. CREATIVITY
• Separate the creative act from the analytical and
decision making.
• Or separate the process of thinking up possible
decisions from the process of selecting amongst
them.
• Invent options first - Decide later

15. Ch’ithometsel – I thank you for being
here and for listening to me
Indigenuity Consulting Group Inc.
www.indigenuity.ca
office@indigenuity.ca
Tel: 250~746~1040